


Stormy

by SlayerEnfiniti



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-24
Updated: 2013-07-24
Packaged: 2017-12-21 05:09:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/896168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlayerEnfiniti/pseuds/SlayerEnfiniti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thunder cracks, rain falls, and suddenly Eren's missing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stormy

(Thanks to corporalgayvi for the prompt! It seems to me that Levi’d be the kind of person that really loves storms, so it makes a nice contrast. :3 Lotsa fun to write.)

Thunder growled outside as Levi signed another paper. That damn brat better be worth all the trouble, the stack of paperwork today was twice what it was yesterday, and tomorrow would probably be worse. Why did so many people care if he took in one stray? They should be used to it by now. Of course, this was the first time his stray had been one with the power to save all of humanity singlehandedly. And they’d wanted to kill him. Ridiculous. What idiots. Better to leave the kid with him. Another flash outside his window, followed shortly by a boom. Rain spattered the glass.

Nature’s self-cleaning, he thought, mood lifting. He loved the rain. The paperwork could wait, he was going to go watch the storm.

Boots pounding doubletime in the hallway. Levi turned toward the door just as Erd flung it open. “We’ve got a situation!" Levi resisted a growl. His stormwatching would have to wait.

"What’s the problem?" This had better be good.

"The boy’s missing!"

...........................................................................

"I was only gone for 30 seconds, tops!"

"What the hell’s the point of guard duty if you just step away whenever you feel like it?!"

"Rain always makes me have to take a leak!" The two rushed back down to the basement. They hadn’t locked Eren in, but Levi honestly hadn’t thought the boy would try to run away. Hadn’t he wanted to join the Recon Corps? Hadn’t he said he didn’t hold a grudge? 

"Erd, go find Petra and Gunter. Tell them to search, but keep it quiet. We don’t want anyone to know we lost the boy before we’d even had him a full day." Levi glared pointedly, and Erd flushed guiltily.

"Yessir." He took off down a side corridor. Levi pelted down one more flight of stairs and rounded the corner to Eren’s room. It had been an office this morning, but the quick addition of a cot had turned it into a functional, if small, bedroom. Levi knocked on the door.

"Eren. Are you there?" It would be just like Erd to cause a panic over nothing, but… there was no response. Even through the thick stone walls he could hear the thunder rolling outside. I better not miss the whole damn thing thanks to this brat.

Sighing, he opened the door. The bed was rumpled, but nothing was broken. No cracked stones, and there wasn’t enough room for Eren to transform with doing at least some damage. Not to mention he certainly wouldn’t have fit through the door. So he was still in human form. “Eren?" A particularly loud crack of thunder made Levi jump a little.

…Had he heard a squeak?

Oh, if there were mice down here he was SO done. Resolutely, he started checking the floorboards. No cracks big enough for mice on the parts he could see, but- Another boom, and another small noise from… under the bed?

On his hands and knees, Levi threw back the blanket to come face-to-face with a pair of wide green eyes. Levi paused. Of all the things… “Oi. You playing Hide-and-Seek?"

"S-Sir-" Thunder growled and oh. Eren buried his head in his arms, letting out one of the most un-manly sounds Levi had ever heard.

"Huh. So it’s the storm?" Eren uncovered himself enough to meet the captain’s eyes. The fear in them was enough of an answer.

Levi sighed. “Eren. It’s nothing to be afraid of. It’s just noise and light. It’s cool to watch, but it’s not dangerous as long as you’re inside."

Eren flinched as another growl hit. “I-I know that, but…" 

Levi’s legs were starting to cramp. “That’s gotta be damn uncomfortable, kid. Get out here." Eren flinched again as he realized that was an order.

Shaking, Eren crawled out, and Levi sat up. Eren scooted next to him, closer than Levi would normally allow but the kid was too terrified to push away. “Now. What’s got you so scared? If it’s not the fear of getting fried?" Eren’s eyes were wet. 

"It’s not…" Eren gulped. “It’s… The same sound." Levi’s eyes narrowed.

"Same sound?" 

Eren folded his arms and buried his head. Another crash from outside. “That. That’s the sound I heard. I heard it twice. Once… last week. Once… years before that. In Shinganshina."

Levi made the leap. “The Colossal Titan." No wonder the kid was shaking. “I forgot about that, you saw it both times, didn’t you?" Eren didn’t respond. “So the Colossal smashing stuff sounded like thunder?"

"No… both times, right before he showed up, there was a-" Nature filled in the gap with the loudest crash yet, and Eren squealed. Levi caught his calf as he dove back under the bed.

"Waitwaitwait. Hold on, kid. This is important. You heard a sound like that before the Colossal appeared?" Levi’s heart was racing. If that was true… Eren nodded, torso half-under the bed. Levi filed that away, as soon as he could he had to talk to Erwin. The same sound as when Eren himself transformed, it couldn’t be a coincidence.

Tears were rolling down Eren’s cheeks now. “Ev-Every time I hear that, it’s like it’s happening again. All of it. I can’t… I can’t." Levi remembered that part of Eren’s file. Carried by a Garrison member too incompetent to even make sure the kid’s head was turned away. Eren had watched as his mother got eaten, and he hadn’t even been 10 yet. Shit. Levi hated dealing with emotional trauma, but it was part of his job. Damn. Guess I won’t be watching this storm. 

The rain was starting to taper off, but the growls of rolling thunder were only getting worse. “Eren. I can’t talk to you when you’re under the bed." Slowly, Eren pulled himself back out and sat next to Levi again. “Look. If the Colossal appears again, we’ll be ready. What happened to you… We weren’t prepared. We are now, though. Trust me, that thing’s got my name on the back of its neck." He clapped a hand on Eren’s shoulder. “Besides, I hear you didn’t do too bad against it this time. A hair faster and you’d have had it yourself." The boy was still shaking. “Oi, don’t you think I’m a match for it? What’s with the doubt?"

Eren gave a tiny little laugh. “Colossal Titan versus Humanity’s Shortest. I’d kinda like to see that."

"Hey, brat," Levi growled. “The title is Humanity’s Strongest.”

Eren hugged his knees, grinning. “No need to be strong if you’re so small it can’t see you." 

Levi pulled him into a headlock, ruffling his hair a little harder than necessary. “Damn cheeky brat." Eren’s shaking was easing, and the next peal of thunder didn’t make him flinch. “One more short joke, I dare you."

Mischievous green eyes looked up at him. “Oh, but sir, I wouldn’t want to belittle you like that. It’s amazing how many people look…up… to you." Levi groaned and mimed a punch at Eren’s face.

"I have definitely never heard either of those before." The thunder was getting quieter now. Eren sat up straighter, eyes shining.

"Oh, don’t get short with me, sir!" Levi had to bite the inside of his cheek.

"Kid, that was pretty… low." 

Eren snorted. “I know, I know, that sort of thing’s usually beneath me. I’m glad it didn’t go over your head, though." Levi chuckled. Damn, this kid is good. 

"Ha! Got you!" Levi quickly assumed his neutral expression again, but the damage was done. “You laughed!"

"I didn’t."

"Did too!"

"Did not."

"Did too!"

Levi folded his arms. So they were going to play this game. Well, he knew how to stop that. “Did not."

"Did too!"

"Did too."

"Did not!"

"…"

"…"

"Man…" Eren collapsed on the floor. “You got me."

Levi rose to his feet, dusting his backside off. “There’s a reason I’m Humanity’s Smartest." He raised a challenging eyebrow at Eren.

"Humanity’s Shortest."

"Humanity’s Best-at-beating-kids."

"Humanity’s Worst-at-everything-else."

"Humanity’s You-better-shut-your-mouth."

"Humanity’s Make-me."

"Um-" 

Eren and Levi whirled to the third voice. Petra stood in the doorway (Shit, Levi thought, he’d left the door open.) with her mouth hanging open. 

"What is it?" Levi asked.

"Well, sir, I was going to say that we hadn’t found Eren yet, but it seems you’ve got that under control. The storm’s done, too, so Hange wants to know if she can use the east courtyard for an experiment."

Levi sighed. “There’s no way in hell I’m giving that woman blanket permission to do anything out there. I’d better go see what she wants. Will you send a message to Erwin? I need to talk to him whenever he can fit me in." Petra nodded, and with one more curious glance at Eren she headed back up the stairs.

Levi turned back to look at Eren, propped up on his elbows on the floor. “Sir… thank you."

Levi gave him a tiny smile, then turned and walked away.

That was more fun than stormwatching any day.


End file.
